1. Field of Industrial Application
The present invention relates to a catalyst for olefin polymerization.
Since the synthesis of cis-1,3-pentadiene anion in 1979, complexes of this compound with a transition metal have been known. However, no instances have been reported in which its transition metal complex is employed as a catalyst component for olefin polymerization.
2. Summary of the Invention
It is an object of the present invention to provide a catalyst for olefin polymerization which is based on a pentadiene anion complex.
The present inventors found that a catalyst formed by the combination of an (open) pentadiene complex of zirconium and aluminoxane has an ability to polymerize olefins. This finding led to the present invention.
The gist of the present invention therefore resides in a catalyst for olefin polymerization which comprises:
(A) a catalyst component obtained by reacting (a) pentadiene or a derivative thereof with (b) an alkali metal and subsequently reacting the reaction product with (c) a Group 4b (Periodic Table--Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 49th Edition, The Chemical Rubber Co., Cleveland, Ohio) metal compound, preferably a titanium compound or zirconium compound, and
(B) an aluminoxane.